Squareface @ 31°North

These pictures were taken in various Singapore bus stops, early February 2009, with a Nokia N95 8GB.

What is common in these three public service messages from the Singapore Police Force and the National Crime Prevention Council? Apart from the usual offence of being very tacky (playing with alliterations, feminine rhymes and syllable rhyme in Careless/Cashless, Reveal/Regret; and antonyms in Believer/Deceiver), it is also very SEXIST. Which is so typical and habitual of them/[insert any public service body]. I beseech you to look at such fallacies with open eyes and never allow yourself and your children get accustomed to it.

Stronger than the actual didactic crime prevention slogans, Singapore residents will come away with this misconception:

Who are victims of crime? Young women, middle-aged women, old women. They will be victims — of pickpockets, of robbers, of cheaters. They will be careless, they will reveal too much of their wealth, and they will be gullible believers of tall stories such as the infamous magic stone. Who are the criminals? Men. They will prey on young women, middle-aged women, and elderly women to steal, rob, and bluff.

Women = careless, foolish, helpless. victim.

Men = scheming, dishonest, evil. culprit.

Open your eyes.

Stereotypes are so yesterday. And really,
evil is woman.

Hah. Happy Women’s Day (8 March 2009)!